How many baseball books do you read each year?

Reading about baseball and its history is obviously a great way to learn and understand the game, so I'm just curious to know how many you read each year. You can include annuals like BP, and even fiction if you'd like.|||At least 12 or more a year from the public library.


Right now I am reading another book on the ***** Leagues.


BTW, if you are ever in Kansas City, you have to take an afternoon to go to the ***** Leagues museum. At 18th and Vine, near the site of the former A's-Royals-Chiefs-Monarchs-Blues ballpark, Municipal Stadium. Exits well marked off I-70 in the middle of the city, Missouri side.





I don't know why YA is blocking the word *****. That is the correct name of the museum and the leagues. The place honors black baseball players before and after Jackie Robinson broke the color line. Political correctness has gone to far.|||I read 3 or 4. My favorite is "The Boys of the Summer of 48".





One summer I even read the complete 1997 baseball rulebook. Pretty nerdish, however, while watching the games with my Dad and others they were amazed that I would know the ruling of a particular play and the reason behind it.





I also liked "The Bronx Zoo%26gt; and "Baseball Stories" which is a compilation of short stories form noted authors and baseball columnists.|||I buy all the periodicals, and since I was 13 in 1982, I have waited for early February, which is when they come out. There are four of the magazines I need, like Athlon Sports, Lindy's, The Sporting News, and Street and Smith's. I also picked up a new one this year, "Scout", which reviews each of the team's 30 top prospects. I also pick up Baseball America's Prospect Handbook.





I usually only completely read 1-2 baseball books a year, but have many of them that I've accumulated over the years, that I pick up and read parts of. For example, Ken Burns' "Baseball", which is a companion of the PBS series. If you want to learn about the history of the game, that's the one to get. I got it 10 years ago, and still flip through it frequently.





Out of curiousity, which version of "The Sporting News" won't be published? I picked up the annual, the New York version had Chien Ming Wang on the cover.|||About 3. I really don't read much!!!|||none|||Several but I try to read more than just sports books.|||2 -5|||I'd like to say that I read baseball books, but truthfully, it's just not my thing. I enjoy classic novels and fiction immensely, but I haven't really given baseball novels a chance. I suppose part of it is a lack of knowledge concerning where I should even begin. If you have any recommendations, I'd definitely be willing to listen.|||I try to read every baseball book that comes out. My family is always supplying me with the latest books, too. I love to read especially about my favorite sport baseball. It keeps me occupied especially in the offseason.|||i can usually find about 3-5 good ones in a year.





:)|||I generally read a book for two weeks which would mean that I read about 26 books per year, about half of those are Baseball related. I recently read a murder mystery that was Baseball related, it amazed me that the author was able to capture so much of the clubhouse atmoshpere in the book. I am always reading magazines but like you said the "Fantasy previews" kind of bore me and they are written so far ahead that you will never be able to use them as a real guide.|||I think I have read 3 books based on baseball in the last 2 years. Canseco's, Game of Shadows, and Ernie Harwells book. Outside of that it is mostly just periodicals, fantasy reports, etc. that come out at the beginning of the season.|||I couldn't give you an exact number, but I'm a pretty avid reader. I'd say I read around 15 baseball books a year.





I just got finished re-reading "Faithful" by Stephen King and Stewart O'Nan about the 2004 Red Sox season, and now, I'm reading "Wrigley Field: The Unauthorized Biography" by Stuart Shea.





I'll read about any team and their history. I've read some books about A-Rod and (one or two) about Barry Bonds and lord knows, I'm not particularly fond of either of them! I just enjoy getting a different perspective and learning something new.|||Great question!


I don't have a set number per year, but I do love to read about the game. Fans of the movie "Field of Dreams" should really pick up one of the many books written by W.P. Kinsella (it's based on one of his stories). He has several collections of short stories about baseball that are an absolute joy to read.





Other than Kinsella, I've also enjoyed reading a series of baseball mysteries by Troy Soos, set in the 1910's and 20's, with lots of references to actual players from that era.





Ty Cobb's autobiography was fascinating as well, and of course plenty of more current non-fiction stuff like the Sporting News annual yearbook, etc.





EDIT %26gt;%26gt; Thanks for the update Craig. I'm sorry to hear that about the Sporting News books. They were the best. Killed by the internet, no doubt.|||About a dozen. Anything by Bill James tops the list, Baseball Prospectus always gets a read, and a few others. March-April is a great time to see the new releases; there's a lot of dross but a few gems pop up as well.|||baseball sucks hockey then football are the best sports ever.